Zoro's Noel
by Zoro-luver2000
Summary: It is almost christmas for the Going Merry Crew and Zoro is remembering the last christmas he spent with his family before going to the dojo. ( this story contains a bible story so no flames because of that, oh and i think i went a little out of character


I dun own it....yet

**Zoro's Noel**

by: Zoroluver200

Zoro sat on one of the hammocks in the mens quarters. It was 3 days till Christmas and the crew of the 'Going Merry' were all a buzz with the spirit. Sanji was in town shopping for the holiday dinner and to get a peasant for Nami. Nami was pick-pocketing every townsman she could as she did in all the other ports they stopped in. Chopper was Christmas shopping with Luffy and Usopp and Zoro volunteered to stay on board and guard the ship.

The swordsman sighed deeply and went to the lounge. There, the pirates had put up a large tree. Roronoa narrowed his eyes and went to the fridge, opened it and grabbed the large bottle of Eggnog. He popped the cork and took a large swig of it straight from the bottle. Trying to drown out the memories

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He was 6 years old and it was a week until Christmas. " How about this one, Aiden?" He asked his older brother. Roronoa Aiden looked at the tree and whistled at how tall it was. " It's a lil too big, squirt...we wouldn't even be able to put it in the house." Zoro slumped his shoulders in disappointment. Aiden sighed and ran a gloved hand through his green hair. He got a good grip on his ax and started to head up the tree. Zoro stared up at his brother as Aiden lopped off the top of the tree. It fell to the ground and as Aiden was climbing down, He shoted down to his brother. " There, now its perfect!" When he reached the bottom, Aiden tied the tree to the sleigh and placed Zoro on his shoulders. The Elder Roronoa then pulled the sleigh towards a small, rundown house.

Aiden sat his brother down on the ground. Zoro began to run towards the house. " Hey guys! we're baaaaa..!" Zoro yelled before he stepped into an unstable snow hill and fell in. He hopped out of the hole and ran towards the house, covered in snow. A young boy about 8 years old stood on the porch. " you okay, cabbage head!?" the boy said in a teasing manner. Zoro ran up the steps and looked at him. " shut up zac..." Roronoa Zachery stuck his tongue out. "Make me!" Zoro glared at his brother and grabbed his tongue, and pressed it against the metal bars that made up the porch posts. Zac was instantly stuck to the pole.

" dey! thoro! ew tupid tabbage ted! Thyme thellin!" Zac tried hard to say with his tongue stuck to the pole. Zoro smirked. " I don't care!" Aiden dragged the sleigh up to the porch steps and dropped the rope. He climbed up the steps and observed the scene before him. " Zoro..." Zoro looked up at the 17 year old man and pointed at his 8 year old brother. "He started it!" Zac reverted his gaze to Aiden. " buh He put ma tongue on da poel!" Aiden looked down at his younger two brothers. " I don't care who started it! I'm finishing it! Zoro, go inside and get me a glass of water, **NOW!**" Zoro ran inside and reached for the cabinet that contained the glasses. He climbed onto the counter top and opened the cabinet. "Hey squirt, what are you doin up there?" Zoro turned around and came face to face with Sono. " Aiden told me to get a glass of water so he could get Zac unstuck from the pole..." Sono grabbed a glass, and filled it with water. He picked up his little brother and placed him on the floor. " because He called you a name, you told him to shut up, he stuck out his tongue, and you pressed it to the porch post?" Zoro nodded.

His brothers knew him all to well, but why not? He was the youngest of the 6 boys and the only sister he had was his younger sister Lilly, who was 2 years old. His father had died shortly after his mother found out that she was pregnant with Lilly, so his brothers had to help make ends meet. His mothers house keeping job just barely putting food on the table to feed herself, let alone 8 children. His dad was the town drunk. He haunted bars and taverns often. He won money through card games and gambling. He met his mother that way. She was a whore's daughter and had to start work in one of his dad's usual haunts. She ended up getting pregnant with Aiden and the Roronoa's had a sense of honor. So he married her. Since he died, Aiden, Jesse, Sono, and Caleb had worked odd jobs and when he and Zac were old enough, they would work as well.

He brought the glass back outside to Aiden and got Zac unstuck from the metal porchpost. Zoro looked down the road to see Jesse walking towards the house with an armful of wood. Zoro stepped of the porch and ran up to his brother. " Hey Jesse!" Jesse looked down at the little green haired boy with his serious, stone like, black eyes. " hey munchkin..." Zoro walked along side of Jesse. "can i carry some?" Jesse looked down at him and rolled his eyes. "Here..." He handed the boy 4 very small logs and walked on. Zoro carried the wood inside and placed them by the fireplace, he was soon followed by Jesse. Jesse looked outside and then said. " Zoro go get the tree stand out of the shed." Jesse ordered him.

Zoro ran outside towards an old shack that his brothers had built about a year ago. He drug out all the Christmas supplies along with the tree stand. He dragged the large box back to the house. He pulled the stand out of the box as Aiden and Jesse brought the tree inside. They spent hours decorating it. The never had electrical lights, so they made popcorn garlands. The had no glass balls, so they decorated it with homemade ornaments. Zoro walked over to Lilly whom was making her very first ornament. "bubba, help me..." said Lilly as she pouted. Zoro nodded and knelled down next to her. " what are you trying to make?" Lilly picked up the a Popsicle stick. "a star.." Zoro smiled and grabbed the glue. He showed her how to glue the 5 sticks into a star shape. He helped her glue it, place a straw-string bow on top, glued a hook onto the back and put gold glitter on it. They waited for it to dry and then wrote her name and year on the back. Lilly handed it to Jesse and he placed it on the tree. Caleb came in with a large deer carcass. " Venison again, guys..." The boys groaned. They had deer meat almost every night. They were lucky to get fish, or rabbit, or even squirrel. Their mother came home late that night as she always did. With barely any money as usual. She cooked the deer meat and then served it. They all sat down and held hands as Aiden said grace. His mother enforced a strong Christian influence on them since their father died. They talked about their day as they ate. It was late when dinner was over, so it meant that the they went straight to bed. The house had only 2 bedrooms. Aiden, Jesse, Sono and Caleb shared on while Zac, Zoro, and Lilly shared the other. Their mother slept in a chair in the living room.

" mommy, can you tell us the Christmas story?" Lilly begged while their mother tucked them into bed. She smiled and sat down on the rickety old bed that Zac and Zoro had to share. " well..Once, in a land far away. There lived a woman named Mary. One day an angel came to her and sayed that she was going to have a baby, and he was to be named Jesus. '_how could i have a baby? for I have never known a mans touch._' The angel..." She was interrupted by Lilly. "mommy, what does it mean to never know a mans touch?" Their mother paused for a moment. " I will tell you when your older, sweety...anyways, The angel replied that it didn't matter, because she was having the lords only son. She married a man named Joseph and the king sent an order out that every man of the house should pay his taxes in the town that he was born in. So, Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem, the place where Joseph was born. Since the tax law was in effect, there was no Inn that they could stay at, One inn Keeper was kind enough to let them stay in his stable with the animals. That night, the baby was born. just outside of Bethlehem, there were three shepherds keeping watch over their sheep. An angel appeared to them and told them not to be afraid because a savior was born in the city of David. A chorus of angels began to sing and the shepherds went to see Jesus. The king, named Herod, got news and sent the wise men to Jesus. Little did they know that Herod really wanted to kill the baby because he did not like the idea of the infant son of a common man was to be the world's savior. But the lord saved Jesus by sending him, Mary, and Joseph down into Egypt." By the time she finished, The three children were asleep.

6 days had past, It was Sunday and the Roronoa family went to church. Aiden, Jesse, Sono, and Their mother sat in the third pew watching Lilly, Zoro, Zac and Caleb in the annual Christmas play the church held every year. Zoro and Zac were in Shepherd costumes. Caleb played one of the wise men and Lilly played the special role of Mary. Zoro had dropped his walking stick three times. Zac had tripped over one of the wooden sheep. Caleb had dropped the Little gold prop once and his hat was also knock off as well. Lilly kept playing with her green pigtails while she said her lines.

The next day was Christmas. Everything was wrapped up in newspaper. Aiden, Jesse, Sono, and Caleb got matching sweaters. Zac got an toy ship, carved out of a block of wood with careful detail and painted beautifully. Lilly got a home made rag doll. Zoro got a kendo sword. That night, when everyone was asleep. Zoro crawled onto his mothers lap in the living room. " how'd Santa know that i wanted to be a swordsman when i grew up?" his mother smiled warmly, though she felt cold as ice. "Well if Santa knows if you had been good or bad, i guess he knows what you want for Christmas as well..." Zoro nodded and understood. His mother shed a single tear and he wiped it away. "momma...why are you crying?" She shook her head and said nothing. She pulled him close and started to sing.

_The first Noel the angel did say  
was to certain poor shepards in fields as they lay:  
in fields where they lay a-keeping their sheep  
on a cold winter's night that was so deep.  
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,  
born is the King of Israel._  
_They looked up and saw a star,  
shining in the east, beyond them far:  
and to the earth it gave great light,  
and so it continued both day and night.  
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,  
born is the King of Israel._

_And by the light of that same star  
three wise men came from the country far;  
to seek for a King was their intent,  
and to follow the star wherever it went.  
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,  
born is the King of Israel._

_This star drew nigh to the north-west;  
o'er Bethlehem it took its rest,  
and there it did both stop and stay,  
right over the place where Jesus lay.  
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,  
born is the King of Israel._

_Then entered in those wise men three,  
fell reverently upon their knee,  
and offered there in his presence  
their gold and myrrh and frankincense.  
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,  
born is the King of Israel._

_Then let us all with one accord  
sing praises to our heavenly Lord,  
that hath made heav'n and earth of naught,  
and with his blood mankind has bought.  
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,  
born is the King of Israel._

"become a great swordsman, my son..." She said before she became silent and her eyes lost that beautiful shine. " momma?" Zoro said as he felt her grow cold. "momma!" he said loudly. He began to shake her. ''MOMMA!!!" Yet she layed still. He continued to yell 'momma." but it was no good. Aiden, Jesse, Sono, Caleb, Zac, and Lilly all came out of their rooms. To find their mother not breathing, her heart ceasing to beat, Cold as ice, and with a smile on her face. The next day they had buried her next to their father. Zoro stayed the longest. " I will mother...i will be a great swordsman...I will be the greatest swordsman in the world!" That following year, we went to the dojo and so began his journey to become the worlds greatest swordsman.

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Zoro stood on the deck of the 'Going Merry' with his mind swimming of the memories of the last Christmas he spent with his family. He looked out towards the sunset. Luffy appeared behind him. " what's up Zoro?" he said with his usual cheerfulness. Zoro looked at him. " nothing...just reminiscing." Zoro then, in his deep rich voice, began to sing.

_The first Noel the angel did say  
was to certain poor shepards in fields as they lay:  
in fields where they lay a-keeping their sheep  
on a cold winter's night that was so deep.  
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,  
born is the King of Israel._  
_Then let us all with one accord  
sing praises to our heavenly Lord,  
that hath made heav'n and earth of nought,  
and with his blood mankind has bought.  
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,  
born is the King of Israel._

" That was pretty! where'd ya learn it?" Luffy asked. Zoro looked at him and sighed deeply. " My mother used to sing it before she...." Zoro paused, but before he could say it Sanji announced that dinner was ready and Luffy had already left. Zoro opened the trap door to the mens quarters and grabbed a cloth bag. He pulled out an old photo of him, his brothers and his mother. He stared at her face. '_become a great swordsman, my son..._' Her words played back in his head over and over again before he put the picture back into his pack. He then made his way to the lounge. On the way there, he stared out at the ocean before opening the door to the lounge. " I will mother...I will."


End file.
